BY JUN RAMIREZ
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is marking its 116th anniversary Monday with silence and prayer the first time ever in its more than 100 years of existence.
Top revenue officials said there will be no fanfare in compliance with the government’s ban on mass gathering to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Instead, the more than 10,000 revenuers were encouraged to meditate and stay focused on their jobs in raising the P1.7-trillion collection goal by the end of the year.
The bureau has been experiencing difficulties in meeting its monthly collection since the start of the pandemic in March.
It raised only P902 billion for the first six months of the year which was roughly P170 billion less compared to the same period last year.
Fiscal authorities have drastically reduced the original collection goal of P2.4 trillion to reflect the unprecedented economic crisis caused by the health crisis. (Jun Ramirez)
